Convertible berth chair



June 26, 1934. J. A. SEI'TZ CONVERTIBLE BERTH CHAIR 1 m w W %m w w mm 3 o 3 w 3 2 p d m June 26, 1934. J 511 CONVERTIBLE BERTH CHAIR Filed Sept. 23. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 N VEN TOR A TTORNEYS June 26, 1934. .1. A. sErrz CONVERTIBLE BERTH CHAIR Filed Sept. 25, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 A TTORNEYS,

Patented June 26, 1934 UNHTED STATE .EPATENT OFFEQEE 2 Claims.

This invention has for its object, convertible bed chairs for vehicles, such as motor busses and the like, which chairs are particularly light and simple in construction, readily convertible into a berth or bed, and which normally face in one direction, that is, forwardly relatively to the travel of the vehicle, instead of a pair of chairs facing each other.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a pair of chairs embodying my invention, the cushions being shown in broken lines.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal, sectional view of a pair of chairs the cushions being shown in dotted lines in their positions occupied when the pair of chairs are converted into a bed, and the webbing or woven cane work of the arms and sides of the chairs being omitted.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the frame of the chairs.

Figure i is an end view of the back cushion of the rear chair, the contiguous portion of the frame of the rear chair being shown in section.

1 and 2 designate respectively the front and rear chairs of a pair of chairs, these being mounted on the floor of the vehicle.

Each chair is made up of an angle iron frame in order that it may be as light as possible, and also, each chair has arms 3 or 1 consisting of a marginal frame and a webbing, as woven cane work 5.

The backs of the chairs also consists of a marginal frame 6 or 7, and similar webbing, or woven cane work. The back of the front chair 6 is mounted to shift into different inclined positions, and also into a position between the chairs and adjacent the floor, as shown in Figure 2. The frame of the back 6 is here shown as pivoted at 8 to brackets 9 on the frame of the front chair, and as held in its normal position and its various adjusted positions by means of a latch bar 10 pivoted at 11 to the frame of the back 6 below the pivot 8, and as having notches 12 coacting with a keeper 13 provided on the frame of the front chair. The latch bar 10 is acted on by a spring 14 to hold it in any one of its positions occupied when the chair is in its normal, or any one of its adjusted positions, and the latch bar iis operated against the action of the spring in order to adjust the back 6 by means of a pedal 15 provided at the front end of the latch 10. The pivots 8 are demountable from their bearings 9 the latter being shown as notches in the brackets 9.

16 is the back cushion of the front chair, and 17 and 18 are the bottom cushions, these lying one over the other, and two being provided principally because the seat bottom is comparatively thick, the cushion 18 being provided to bolster the cushion 1'7.

19 designates the back cushion of the rear chair, and 20 and 21 the bottom cushions. The back cushion 19 is carried by a frame provided with legs 22 at its lower front end extending on opposite sides of the bottom cushion 21 and resting on angle irons 23 forming part of the frame of the rear chair in order to support the lower front edge of the back cushion, this back cushion being normally arranged in a position in which it is inclined out of the vertical. The upper edge of the back cushion 19 is provided with means for coacting with the back 7 of the chair frame to hold the back cushion at diiferent angular positions relatively to the seat bottom, and as here illustrated, the back cushion isprovided with hooks 24 at its upper edge for hooking over a shoulder or bar 25 at the upper end of the back frame of the rear chair, and for also hooking over a similar bar 26 located some distance below the bar 25, and for also hooking on a bar or shoulder 27 carried at the lower ends of swinging links 28 pivoted on the ends of the bar 26. Obviously, when the hooks 24 are engaged with the bar 26, the back cushion 19 will be in the dotted line position 19 Figure 2, and when engaged with the bar 27 carried by the swinging links 28, will be in the dotted line position 19 Figure 2. In either position, the front lower edge of the back 19 is supported on the angle irons 23 by the legs 22.

The bottom cushions 20 and 21 of the back seat are shiftable into a position to bridge the space between the front and rear seats, as shown in Figure 2, and the rear ends of these cushions 20, 21 are supported on the frame of the rear chair and the front ends of the cushions supported on the frame of the front chair, the frame of the front chair being provided with suitable means as shoulders 29 provided by angle irons mounted between the brackets 9 to which the back frame 6 of the front seat is pivoted.

The back cushion 16 and the back frame 6 of the front chair are foldable as a unit into a position between the chairs and below the level of the bottom cushions of the chairs, and the bottom cushions 20, 21 of the rear chair shiftable into a position to bridge the space between the chairs and the back cushion 19 of the rear chair into either of the positions 19 19", so that the cushions form a bed bottom with the upper surfaces of the cushions 1'7 and 20 substantially flush, and the upper surface of the cushion 19 either flush with the cushions 1'7, 20, or inclined slightly upwardly into the position 19 when the chairs are converted into a day-bed.

When it is desired to convert a pair of chairs into a bed, the latch lever 10 is depressed, thus permitting the back 6 with the cushion 16 to be folded down into the position 16 Figure 2, adjacent the floor. During this operation, the pivot 8 is demounted from its bearings, or notches 9 in the plates 9, and the latch bar 10 being unlatched, the whole back structure 6 and cushion 16 can be first shifted forwardly against the action of a spring 14 and then, the rear end of the cushion 16 and back 6 moved endwise under the frame of the rear chair. The cushions 20 and 21 are then shifted forwardly to bridge the space between the chairs and then, the back cushion 19 of the rear chair shifted into either position 19- or 19 In order to make the bottom cushion 17 level with the cushion 20, the cushion 18 can be reversed with its rear edge forward as this cushion is thicker towards its rear end than towards its front end. To restore the chairs to the original position, the reverse of these operations takes place.

This chair construction is particularly light and adapted for busses and similar motor vehicles where light weight is an essential feature, and it is also particularly advantageous in that daycoach chairs facing forwardly, or in the same direction, can be converted from chairs into a bed.

What I claim is:

1. The combination of front and rear chairs facing in the same direction, the front chair comprising a frame and a back shiftably mounted on the frame and shiftable into a general horizontal position near the floor into the space between the chairs, the rear chair comprising a frame and a fixed back, a bottom cushion shiftably mounted on the rear chair frame and shiftable to bridge the gap between the chairs over the back of the front chair when shifted into said space, means on the front chair frame for supporting the front edge of the bottom cushion when in position between the chairs substantially flush with the seat of the front chair, a back cushion shiftably mounted on the rear chair frame and having legs at its lower edge extending at an angle to the plane of the surface of the back cushion whereby the legs normally extend rearwardly when the back cushion is in its normal upright position, said legs being movable into vertical position when the back cushion of the rear chair is shifted into horizontal position to support the front edge of said back cushion from the rear chair frame when shifted into horizontal position, the rear chair frame having means on which the legs rest when the back cushion is in horizontal position.

2. The combination of front and rear chairs facing in the same direction, the front chair comprising a frame and a back shiftably mounted on the front chair and shiftable into a general horizontal position near the floor between the chairs the rear chair comprising a frame having a fixed back, a bottom cushion shiftably mounted on the rear chair frame and shiftable to bridge the gap between the chairs, means on both chair frames for supporting respectively the front and rear edges of the bottom cushion when in position between the chairs substantially flush with the seat of the front chair, a back cushion shiftably mounted on the rear chair frame and having legs at its lower edge extending at an angle to the plane of the surface of the back cushion, whereby the legs normally extend rearwardly when the back cushion is in its normal upright position, said legs being movable into vertical position when the back cushion of the rear chair is shifted into horizontal position to support the front edge of said back cushion when shifted into horizontal position, the rear chair frame having forwardly and rearwardly extending guides along which the legs slide during the shifting movement of the back cushion and on which the legs 2 rest when the back cushion is in horizontal and different inclined positions.

JACOB A. SEITZ. 

